Personalities · 29 · The Queen
Why diaspora Jews identified with a woman
Esther has limited power but uses cunning to subvert a hostile system. Scholar Aaron Koller suggests diaspora Jews identified with her for exactly that reason.
Be Esther, not Mordecai or Vashti.
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Both women and Jews under empire held weaker positions and needed cleverness to succeed. Esther's initial hesitation is part of her success. Her story moves women from the bedroom to the boardroom.
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 459–461
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